penMesh--Monte Carlo radiation transport simulation in a triangle mesh geometry

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Computational Science
• Radiation Physics

Background:

• Existing Monte Carlo codes often have geometric limitations.
• Triangle meshes offer greater flexibility for complex object representation.
• PENELOPE is a widely used code for radiation transport simulations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce penMesh, a novel Monte Carlo simulation code.
• To combine PENELOPE's physics accuracy with triangle mesh geometry flexibility.
• To demonstrate penMesh's utility in medical imaging applications.

Main Methods:

• Developed penMesh integrating PENELOPE's physics with triangle mesh geometry.
• Implemented an octree structure and efficient ray-triangle intersection for accelerated ray-tracing.
• Utilized sophisticated computer graphics tools for geometric modeling.

Main Results:

• Successfully simulated whole-body radiography using the NCAT phantom.
• Performed scatter fraction measurements with a standardized phantom.
• Benchmarked triangle mesh versus quadric geometry for breast phantom ray-tracing.

Conclusions:

• penMesh provides a flexible and accurate platform for radiation transport simulation.
• The code is well-suited for medical imaging applications utilizing detailed anatomical phantoms.
• penMesh demonstrates significant potential for advancing radiation simulation studies.